I had the opportunity to visit the central diagnostic labs at Mzuzu Central Hospital in the city of Mzuzu, in Malawi. This is a district-level hospital that serves around 2 million people. The first impression the hospital gives is a sense of charm with its grass-surrounded outdoor walkways with grey concrete floors and white-painted ceilings supported by red brick pillars, that interconnect different hospital departments (a form of architecture that has a colonial legacy but is suitable for the local climate). The charm of the walkways however very quickly disappears as one sees the emotionally drained and tired faces of patients in waiting areas. Eventually one of these outdoor walkways leads to the entrance of the patient waiting area of the central labs. Beyond the patient waiting area is the entrance to the main lab with access restricted to lab personnel.
PharmTox Lab Rats Volume 5: Pain Science Behind the Scenes
I decided that it was in my best interest not to take the rest of my prescription. For a week, I was unable to walk due…